Actions are Enough
by Michiko Kougai
Summary: Subtle hints are enough for her to read between the lines. RyoSaku! Please read and review.


Actions are enough

By: Chi-chan 

**-**-Sakuno's POV- 

I once again found myself standing behind the metal net seeing Ryoma-kun rally with excellence. As usual, he is pretty determined returning the ball to his opponent. Lately, it has always bothered me if Ryoma really notices me. Or, all he really paid heed is everything in the field of tennis. And I could never be in that field.   
I have thought a lot of times to never appear on his games. Never encourage him in practice. Never cheer for him. And never pursue the feelings I have for him right at this moment. But the more I thought about the uncertainties the more I feel like I love him even stronger.   
Then again, he ended his game with victory. He went out the court and he was greeted by our senpai-tachi.   
"Nya, ochibi! Good job!" Kikumaru senpai said as he hugs Ryoma. Ryoma on the other hand just gave him a small smile; seeing that, I can't help but smile to myself as well.   
"You made us worry back there, Echizen! You shouldn't do that! You shouldn't." Momoshiro exclaimed.   
I sighed. I know he wasn't that type of person who is cold throughout. He let his emotions open especially around his team mates. He shows them when he's happy, irritated and excited. I was a bit saddened by that. Ryoma never showed me when he's happy and excited. All he ever showed is annoyance and irritation.   
My glance then again landed on him. I can see that he's quite sad. Isn't he happy winning over his opponent? Isn't he happy that he's one of the excellent players of Japan? I sighed again. He wasn't satisfied in anything, huh? That's why I guess. Everything I am will not be worthy of him, being clumsy and stupid as always.   
My grandmother tapped me on my back to bring me back to reality. "Sakuno, you'll not be able to congratulate him if you will just stand there."   
I looked at her. "All the senpai-tachis are already there. Another greeting will not be significant to him especially if it's from me. There are still a lot of special people who will be coming over to him to congratulate him. Even if I come, he won't notice me."   
My grandmother's eyes widen. "S-Sakuno,"   
I forced a small smile. "I'm alright. I just wanted to be alone for a while." I hurriedly run away from her as tears started to roll down my cheeks.   
"Sakuno! Wait!" I heard her say as I ignored it and continued running.   
I would like to go to a place where I couldn't feel Ryoma anywhere. I abruptly stopped and decided to sit on the gazebo nearby. "Why do I still like you when you're always the cause of my tears?! Why do I still think about you when everything I remember are times that I am always crying because of your innocent insults?!" I sighed. I'm stupid, am I? 

"Sakuno! Wait!" Sumire exclaimed as her grand daughter suddenly ran away.   
The Seigaku regulars looked worriedly at their coach. "Sensei, what happened?" Tezuka asked.   
Sumire just look at her inquiring captain. "I know she's lying. She always lied about what she really felt."   
Upon hearing the statement of their coach, Ryoma can't help but to silently listen to her. He tugged the brim of his cap down and slowly walks towards her trying hard not to let his presence known.   
"Nya, where's Ryuzaki-chan then?" Kikumaru asked looking at his worried teacher.   
"How will I know if she suddenly ran away from me?" She replied. The regulars were suddenly taken aback by the harshness of her voice.   
"Is she crying when she left?" Fuji asked.   
"Yes," Everyone was silent after her response.   
"I'll go look for her!" Momoshiro exclaimed as he started running.   
"I'll come with you, nya!" Eiji said as the both started running away from the crowd.   
"Sensei, she'll be alright. Momo and Eiji will find her and I guess they'll be both able to talk to her." Oishi reprimanded.   
Sumire looked at her remaining regulars and smile at them. "Thanks for worrying."   
On the other hand Inui decided to walk towards Ryoma. Oishi and the others seeing this guessed that he is one of the factors of Ryuzaki-chan's distressed.   
"Echizen," Inui said to Ryoma.   
"Hmm" The young boy replied.   
"Are you not bothered?" Inui asked.   
Ryoma lightly looked at him and tugged the brim of his cap down. "Not my business. I'll go grab a drink. Ja." Ryoma walked away.   
As the first year walked away the other members of the team sighed. "He really was so stubborn." Sumire said with a small smile pasted on her lips.   
"Yeah," Fuji said as well.   
"Echizen himself might never know what he really feels if he keeps it going this way." Oishi as well commented.   
"Echizen has his pride and ego on the line. There's an affirmative 87 chance that he'll not sacrifice his pride and ego for some girl." Inui noted skimming on his notebook.   
"Yeah, you're right." Everyone agreed in unison. 

Ryoma continued to walk thinking what he had heard today.   
"Che, they're all panicking because the coach's grand daughter cried." He whispered to himself smirking, thinking how stupid his senpais are to worry for some girl.   
He stopped on his tracks. He kind of felt weird again. He sighed. He knew there's something bothering him. He can't just pin point what is it. He doesn't know if this has something to do with _her _or he was still not satisfied with his match. He remembered that a lot of people bugged him just after his game. Everyone is congratulating him and telling him he did great. They asked a couple of questions like: did you have a hard time? Or something like: do you plan on going to Wimbledon after some years? It pissed him off! 

He yearned to hear something sweet to his ears. A voice he knew all too well that has been there since he decided to join the tennis club. The soft spoken voice that somehow encouraged him in his games, that voice that somehow made his day. And it seems that voice is the missing puzzle to his displeasure right at this moment. He wasn't discontented on his game or the pissing questions of the reporters. All he really need is her soothing voice. He wants her coming to him and saying how happy she was he won his game. He wants to see her flushed cheeks and those long braids. He wants to see her shy amber eyes stare at his hazel ones. He wants to feel her. And it becomes stranger why he feels this way.   
Ryoma shook his head. "What was I thinking? She is clumsy. She is miserable in giving directions. Most of all she sucked at tennis." He shook his head.   
Ryoma heaved again. "Why do I feel stressed? I really need to grab a drink." 

Kikumaru and Momoshiro finally found Sakuno sitting in the gazebo. They gently walked towards her and trying really hard not to surprise her. They thought that surprising her could mean another distress for the girl's part.   
"R-Ryuzaki chan," Momo and Eiji said in unison as they stand in front of Ryuzaki Sakuno.   
Her head suddenly shot up. "S-Senpai," She suddenly felt that tears are still trickling down her face so she immediately wiped it away with the sleeves of her clothes.   
"Ryuzaki-chan are you okay?" Momo asked worriedly.   
"Hai, I'm fine Momoshiro senpai." She replied between sobs. "Is there anything I can help you? She added.   
Momoshiro and Kikumaru finally decided to seat beside her. _"This will be a long talk." _Momoshiro thought.   
"Ne, Ryuzaki chan, we might ask you the same question, nya." Eiji said.   
"What do you mean?" She asked confusedly.   
"Ryuzaki sensei is totally worried about you. She said that you suddenly ran away from her crying. We decided to go after you to-," Momoshiro stopped on his statement as he heaved. "-to help you."   
Sakuno's eyes widen tears already stopped from falling from her eyes. "I'm really fine." She said once again and forced a small smile on her lips.   
"Nya, I guess Ryuzaki sensei was right after all. You really are hiding what you truly feel. Is this about ochibi again?" Kikumaru asked. 

She shook her head as she avoided their gaze. Sakuno couldn't believe herself discussing this topic with her senpais. It's really embarrassing.   
"Even though Echizen is really dense at times and very conceited, there's still some part of him that's very childish. And we won't be teasing him hard if we don't feel he doesn't feel the same way about you." Momoshiro stated making Sakuno's cheek heat up. He smiled a little at that.   
"I don't think he really reciprocates what I feel, Momoshiro senpai." Sakuno replied as he griped her skirt tight.   
"I think not, Ryuzaki-chan." Eiji said in a sing song voice. "Ne, he'll not be looking around and waiting for someone to come over to him and congratulate him, nya."   
Sakuno's eyes widen and griped her skirt tighter. "But I'm not the one he's looking for. Maybe it's someone really close to him."   
This time it's Momoshiro's turned to sigh. "R-yu-za-ki-chan, it's quite obvious who he'll be looking after. You ran away. He'll be able to notice that."   
"Besides, after that scenario he suddenly became too irritated, too snobbish and too cold than usual. You have to learn from his actions and notice the slightest hints he's giving you, nya. He's hard to read sometimes." Eiji said as he taps Sakuno's shoulder.   
Sakuno looked at the both of them. "But-" Before she could even finish her sentence. Tears suddenly started to roll down on cheeks once again. "Sorry senpai but you'll never understand what I feel!!!" Sakuno exclaimed as she run away from them.   
"Wait! Ryuzaki-chan!!!" Momoshiro yelled wishing the braided girl would turn around.   
Eiji on the other hand just scratch his head as he sighed. "Well it didn't work out the way we want it, nya. Those two are both stubborn, aren't they?"   
"Yeah they are, Eiji-senpai. I guess it didn't work out." Momoshiro added.   
Momoshiro and Kikumaru both sighed in unison once again. 

"Gomen senpai-tachi! I really didn't mean to offend you! I just know that no one will ever understand what I feel. I am confused either!" Sakuno whispered to herself as she continued to run. A few more meters of endless running she stopped abruptly as she felt that she can't run anymore. She gasped and pant for breath as tears continue to fall on her porcelain cheeks.   
"Why did I become so vulnerable? Why did I wait for a love that is unrequited in the first place?" She sighed and closed her eyes. "This is your entire fault, Ryoma!" She paused and heaved a deep breath. "I want to let you know that I hate you! I've move on! I'm not thinking about you anymore! And I- I don't love you at all!!!" Tears fall down again from her eyes.   
She sobbed and felt that her heart ached too much. That everything she said are all lies. He loved Echizen Ryoma! She loved the tennis prodigy! She loved the rude, cocky, aloof guy! She didn't mean to fall for him in the first place! She hated him but she hates herself more for being so stupid.   
Sakuno's ears perked up as she heard someone.   
"Hn"   
Sakuno turned her head to the owner of the voice and she gasped.   
"Ryoma-kun what are you doing here?" She asked.   
"Betsuni," He replied as he took a last sip from his Ponta and throw it in the trash can. He then walked towards Sakuno.   
"Ryoma-kun, have you heard everything?" She asked nervously.   
Ryoma nodded his head in reply making Sakuno gasped more. "Ryuzaki,"   
Ryoma grabbed Sakuno's wrist and pulled her towards him enveloping her in a very tight hug. Sakuno was shocked at the sudden turn.   
"Waiting is hard, isn't it?" Ryoma whispered in her ears. Sakuno blushed at the warm breath she felt to her ears.   
"It's hard isn't it?" Ryoma repeated. Sakuno's eyes widen. _"What does this means?" _She thought. She nodded at his question.   
Ryoma felt her nod and smirked to himself. "I was waiting for you. You didn't come." He pulled away from her and tugged the brim of his cap down.   
"Will you not say anything to me?" Ryoma inquired as he looked at her wet eyes.   
"Huh?" Sakuno inquired back.   
Ryoma smirked at her inquiry and suddenly walked away. Her eyes widen. It just hit her when Ryoma's meters away from her.   
"Ryoma-kun! Congratulations for a match well played." She shouted. Ryoma stopped on his tracks. This is the one he's waiting for. The voice he waited long enough for him to even find the owner.   
He turned around only to see her behind him. He held her by the shoulders and suddenly leaned in. She felt his lips on top of hers brushed lightly. He immediately pulled away and pulled the brim of his cap down. "I wish that everything you said a while ago were lies."   
Sakuno smiled. It is true. Ryoma notices her and he likes her. She realized that the senpai tachis are right. You have to learn from his actions and notice the slightest hints. She knew that Ryoma was dense and aloof. But now she felt that the hints are too obvious for her to read between the lines. She doesn't have to hear Ryoma say it straightforward. His actions are enough.   
-the end- 


End file.
